Combined operator and latch for doors



Y 3, 1934- E. H. LEHMAN COMBINED OPERATOR AND LATCH FOR DOORS Filed July 15, 1952 0 M w W 4 u n \G 7 I 2 C 6 2 A 2. E fi IIIHIIIIIH M 4 h. 7 Lil} M l lAWH IL 3 I- 2 2 z a 2 w L 71% 4 a \W L [hr/622102 Edward H. Lei: man.

Byww m i atented July 3, 1934 T OFFICE 1,964,884 ooivrBINEnorenA'roaANn LATCH Fort noons Edward H. Lehman, Chicago, 111., assignor to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application July 15, 1932, 'Serial No. 622,577 5 Claims. (o1. sacs-72) This invention relates to improvements in com "bined operator and latch for doors. a I I I One object of the invention is to provide a man- 7 fually operated means of simple design and efii- 6 cient operation, especially adapted for use in connection with hinged doors of cold storage containers, such as refrigerator trucks and cold store 7 age receptacles used in connection with container railway cars, for either prying the doors partly open or forcing the same tightly closed and latching the doors in closed position.

more specific object of the invention is to provide simple and emcient manually operated means having powerful lever action for operating a single hinged door of a cold storage receptacle to either force the same open or tightly closed. Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following. 7 2Q, In the drawing, forming a part of this specifica tion, Figure 1 is a broken side view of a wall of ,a container provided with a single hinged door, illustrating my improvements in connection 7 therewith. And Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 22 of Figure 1. w fInsaid drawingyIOdesignates the side wall of a container, such as is used in connection with container cars for railways, provided with a door opening 11 closed by a single door 12. The door 12 is of the swinging type and is suitably supported along one vertical edge by a plurality of hinges secured to the wall 10. One of the hinges only is illustrated in the drawing, being indicated by 13. The meeting faces of the door and door frame are insulated in the usual manner to seal crevices when door is closed. As shown in the drawing the insulating material is in the form of a strip and is preferably secured to the door frame.

My improved combined operator and latch oomprises broadly a keeper A fixed to the door; a supporting bracket B fixed to the wall of the car; and an operating lever C hinged to the supporting bracket, said operating lever having keeper-engaging means D movably supported thereon.

The keeper A comprises a platelike portion 14. fixed to the outer side of the door adjacent to the vertical free edge thereof, bolts 1515 or other well known securing means being employed for this purpose. The plate 14. has an outstanding lug 16 in the form of a hook. As clearly shown in Figure 2, the outer end of hook 16 is directed inwardly away from the free edge of the door. The plate 14 also carries a sliding latch 1'7, which cooperates with the operating lever C to to or forming a part oi plate 14, the upper section 69 of the latch 17 being slotted, a's'i'ndicated at 19,

to accommodate the pin.

The supporting bracket B comprises atriangw lar platelike portion 20,'which is securedto the side wall 10 of the receptacle adjacent to the door opening 11. a T e plate 20 has an outstanding pivot lug 21 to which the inner end of the operating lever C is pivoted. The plate 20 is" fixed to the wall 10 by means of bolts 22-22 or simil'ar securing elements. H V a The lever C has its inner end iorked,as indicated at 23-23, the arms of the forkembracing the lug 21. A pivot bolt 24 extending through thearms of the iorkedsection 23-23 and the pivot lug 21 swingingly connects the lever C to the '25 is of lesser width than the inner end portion of the lever, which portion is indicatedby 26. Adjacent to the hand grip end of the lever the section 2 6 is longitudinally slotted, as indicated at 27, for a purpose hereinafter pointed out.

The keeper-engaging means D is in the form of a slide mounted on the lever C. The keeperengaging means comprises a finger 28, which is formed on a blocklike member 29 having a fiat outer face 30 engaging the inner side of the lever C. The finger portion 28 of the keeper-engaging means D is reversely directed to the hooklike member 16 of the keeper A, whereby the finger 28 will be interengaged with said keeper to pull the door 12 outwardly. The keeper-engaging means D is connected to the lever C by means of a guide element 31 having a substantially square section 32 engaged within the slot 2'7 of the lever C and a disc-like flange portion 33 overlying the outer side of the lever. Outwardly of the disclike portion 33, the member 31 is provided with a knob 34 by which the keeper-engaging means may be moved 0 lengthwise of the handle C. At the inner end, the member 31 is reduced in size, as indicated at 35, thereby providing in effect a substantially cylindrical pinlike section, which extends through an opening 36 provided in the block 29 of the finger 28. The member 31 is secured to the block 29 by the outer end of the pinlike section 35 of the member 31 being upset, as indicated at 3'7, said upset portion being accommodated within a pocket 38 provided in the block 29. At the inner 1 0 end, the handle section 25 of the lever C is provided with an inward enlargement or lug 39, which has an opening 40 therethrough accommodating the lower end of the latch 17. As will be evident, when the latch is engaged through the opening 40 of the lug 39 the lever C will be held in fixed position. As is customary when the lever is thus locked, the latch 17 is sealed in the usual manner.

In the operation of my improved combined operator and latch, assuming that the door 12 is closed and that the parts are in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the latch 17 is first disengaged from the lever C and the lever then pulled outwardly away from the door. During this action, the finger 28 being engaged with the hook 16 of the keeper A, the door will be pried open. The sliding arrangement of the member D on the lever C prevents binding of the parts during this operation. In case the keeper-engaging means D is not in proper position to interengage with the keeper A at the time it is found desirable to open the door, the keeper-engaging means D may be slid along the operating lever C by means of the knob 34 so as to engage the finger 28 with the hook 16.

In forcing the door to closed position, the lever is swung inwardly over the free edge of the door so as to overlie the hook 16 of the keeper. During such operation, the inner side of the lever will engage the outer face of the hook, thereby forcing the door tightly closed. As will be understood, during the closing operation the keeper-engaging means D is in such a position that it will clear the hook 16 of the keeper. When the lever C is in the position shown in the drawing and the door is closed, the parts may be latched and sealed in the usual manner by the member 17, as hereinbefore pointed out.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In an operating mechanism for a hinged door of a container, the combination with a hookshaped keeper fixed to the door; of a lever pivoted at one extremity to the container; and sliding hook-shaped keeper-engaging means on the lever between the ends of the lever inwardly of the pivot of said lever, said hook-shaped means being directed toward said pivot.

2. In an operating mechanism for a hinged door of a container, the combination with a hook member fixed to the door; of a lever pivoted at its inner end to the container and having a hand grip at its outer end; and a movable finger on said lever between the pivot and hand grip thereof, said finger projecting toward the pivot of the lever and being engageable with the hook member to force said door open.

3. In an operating mechanism for a hinged door of a container, the combination with a hook member fixed to the door adjacent to the free edge thereof, said hook member being directed inwardly from said edge of the door; of a lever pivoted at its inner end to said container at a point closely adjacent to said door, said lever being swingable into overlying relation with respect to said hook member and engageable with the outer side of the hook member to force said door closed; and a sliding finger on said lever between the ends thereof and engageable with said hook member to force said door open.

4. In an operating mechanism for a hinged door of a container, the combination with a keeper fixed to the door adjacent to the free edge thereof, said keeper being in the form of a bent lug having the outer end thereof directed inwardly from said edge of the door; of a lever pivoted at its inner end to said container; and a sliding finger on said lever, said finger being reversely arranged to said lug and engageable therewith to force the door open, said lever also being swingable toward the door to engage said lug to force said door closed.

5. In an operating mechanism for a hinged door member of a container member, the combination with a hooklike keeper fixed to one of said members of a lever pivoted at its inner end to the other member, said lever being swingable to engage over the keeper to force said door closed; and a hooklike finger slidably mounted on said lever, said hooklike finger being engageable with the hooklike keeper to pull said door open.

EDWARD H. LEHlVIAN. 

